Minimizing Your Risks
- The best way to minimize the risk of complications from whooping cough is to make sure your child is fully immunized.
- Call your health care provider to set up a time for your child's shots.
- Talk to your health care provider about ways to treat the minor side effects of shots, such as mild fever and tenderness.
- Ask for a written record of your child's shots. Keep it in a safe place at home where you can find it easily.
- If your child is exposed to anyone with whooping cough, check your child's immunization record right away. Seek immediate medical attention if the shots are not up to date.
- See your health care provider if anyone in your household has a cough that lasts longer than a week. It is important to get an accurate diagnosis, and to make sure that anyone with whooping cough gets treatment and avoids close contact with young children while the disease is still contagious.
- Even if your child has had whooping cough, continue with the complete series of shots. You can get whooping cough more than once, and immunization is the best way to protect children from serious complications if they become infected again.
This article comes from the Health Canada website.
